Hebrews Chapter 5 Jesus is our Great High Priest
Hebrews 5:1-10 "Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to Him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." And He says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of his reverent submission. Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what he suffered and once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek."
Appointment as High Priest
The writer wants his audience to understand that Jesus is a better high priest and He goes beyond the standard qualifications which include:
Confirmation of Authority:
Jesus' appointment and authority was greater than the priestly line of high priests which began with the tribe of Levi. The order of Melchizedek symbolized a different type of priesthood without beginning or end. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah - the kingly line - not from Levi - because He came from an order without a beginning or an end Represent the People Jesus came from among the people, for "God became flesh and dwelt among us." And although He was God, he has compassion for the people and could identify with the people. Jesus became a man so that we would know that He understands. Jesus offered a greater example for the people through:
Once Jesus as "made perfect" is a reference to having completed or finished something. Once Jesus was made perfect....once He completed the work of salvation...He became for us the "source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek." The high priests had to submit sacrifices daily for the forgiveness of the people's sins; but Jesus offers an eternal salvation because He has no beginning and no end and His sacrifice was complete! |
Jesus is an example for us
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Hebrews 5:11-14 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time, you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
The author continues to emphasize the importance of the Word of God.
On this topic [of Melchizedek] we have much to say and it is difficult to explain..... The author wants to speak of “meatier” matters, but his readers are hardly up to it. They cannot follow deeper teaching because they are accustomed to “milk.” The problem is that while they have heard the Word taught, they have been short on putting it into practice. The mature can handle “solid food” because they have gained maturity by putting the truth into practice, thus being able to discern what is good and what is evil. No wonder the author feels the need to underscore the importance of God’s Word (chapter 1) and to exhort the readers to pay more careful attention to it (2:1-4). No wonder he goes to great lengths to warn and exhort us from the example of the ancient Israelites and from the instruction of Psalm 95! Failure to heed the Word has dire consequences. |
"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales, rather, train yourself to be godly."
1 Thimothy 4:7 |